III. Leaves of Absence
Higher education in the United States serves as a critical gateway for young adults as it provides opportunities to build essential intellectual and interpersonal skills and to obtain the necessary credentials for roles in the workforce and in our communities. It is also a critical time in the development of a young adult’s sense of self, purpose, and meaning in life. Student mental health is an essential component of their overall wellness and is inextricably linked to their overall success on campuses.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2020) reported 75% of college students experienced significant distress. For many of these young adults, their college or university becomes their primary community as they live, learn, play and work on our campus environments. Their capacity to be successful will have lifelong consequences for their employment, income, and health (Douce & Keeling, 2014). The COVID-19 Pandemic that disrupted the lives of all Americans in 2020 shattered the sense of safety for many people and in particular for college students. Many students embark on their collegiate journey lacking critical collegiate resilience skills and often the opportunities and resources to build collegiate resilience. COVID-19, with all of its
significant disruptions and stressors, has proven to be an additional, significant challenge for student mental health and thriving. Students are more depressed, lonelier, anxious, and have thoughts about suicide more than any other generation of students before them (American College Health Association, 2019). Studies have clearly found that mental health problems have a very strong and negative impact on academic performance, retention and graduation rates (Kitzrow, 2003, Eisenberg, et. al, 2009). Significant numbers of students are living with depression
Leave Implementation Guide for Campus Leadership, Counseling, Staff, & Faculty: Supporting Students Taking a Leave of Absence • 3
